Sea of Arrows

Drovar Twins Backstory Part 1

I told you this would not end well. Love can not be born when duty is yet to be fulfilled. I still have use for you and your brother, Ferra….

A large room filled with shelves full of different sized vials and decanters, strange liquids and books. A large glass sphere hangs from the wall holding four dancing lights, permanently lighting the stone room. A large door served as the back exit of the room, having only a small window set in it. The furthest point in the room had shelves of strange objects and books set in them, to the left of that a dark doorway was covered in black drapes. In the middle of this stone room, a large leather bound table holds a half-Orc/half-elven woman sprawled upon it. Beautiful, yet savage, her skin was a pale gray, smooth with scars and tattoos along her arms and shoulders.
p.
Large black circles of makeup covered her closed slim eyes, ending in sharp points almost meeting the ends of her eyebrows, covering the small wrinkles by her eyes grown from years of squinting and focusing hard. She almost seemed peacefully asleep, except that her bosom and shoulders were moving rapidly, her slim but sharp black eyebrows were pouring sweat as her breath came out roughly and erratically.

p. Standing by the side of this table, a frantic and angry half-Orc/half-elf with large leather boots and pants made of animal hide. An armored coat and large brim hat were thrown on the floor to his side as he paced around the table staring over the woman. His skin was the same cream gray as her and as he got closer to her face, there were great similarities between both of their faces. Same yellow Amber eyes, same strong jaw line, his face and tusks larger than the other but they seemed too alike to not be related. On his right ear a small blue totem, carved in the shape of a dragon, hung through one of the gaping holes in his earlobe. He was only slightly wider than the woman, however where she was toned, he was iron built, every muscle tight and seeming to be ready for action in any second.

“Siika where are you?! She needs aid NOW!” His last word almost a roar as he continued to pace around.

“Hold your tongue wild fool I told you I’m getting what I need right now!” A smaller but stern voice sounded from somewhere in the back. Black drapes covered a doorway to the left of one of the many shelves in the room and a tall slender sylph man came through it holding a strange vial of green liquid. The sylph man wore red robes lined in gold, walking through the room gracefully as if he were waltzing through. The robes swirled around the angry half-orc/half-elven man as Siika swatted at the air around him like he was a fly bothering him.

p. “I’m working on getting the right remedy I can’t just stick any liquid down your sister’s throat,” he turned drawing a small smile,” I mean unless that’s what she’s into…”

“Watch your tongue witch,” the man’s muscles tensed as he almost instantly reached up and held onto a great sword strapped to his back.
p.
“Cool it Torr, I’m only trying to break the tension,” Siika winked playfully and then turned back to the woman, “I can only do so much as it is, so I’ve contacted a blood hag I know who will be here shortly hopefully when we are all coherent and able to figure out what to do next. What will help is more information. How did this happen?”

“We were double-crossed” Torr growled again as he spoke, “rumors of our leaving the Dread Vipers got back to Bodric and well, he seemed to be fine with us leaving when we spoke. Looking back now, us leaving with his secrets was too good to be true. Less talk more magic, I need you to tell me Ferra is going to be ok.” His voice wavered from its former angry tone when speaking his sisters name.

“Stop lying to me Torr,” he gently opened Ferra’s lips, placing the vial past her small tusks to allow the liquid to flow into her mouth, “It took me forever to figure out an antidote to this because of its properties, whatever poison she took is made of different poisons that are way too complex to not be specific. I’m not an idiot, and I know trust is hard with you Drovar twins, but I need the right facts to properly treat her.” His eyes flashed quickly across Torr’s face, reading him intently, but his mouth kept a small smile at the end of it, only confusing Torr more.
p.
For a moment that felt uncomfortably long, Torr and Siika read each other’s eyes with the same intent. The sylph’s icy blue eyes were smaller and sharper in comparison to Torr’s strong and large amber-yellow eyes. Both eyes stared into the other, a silent battle happening between the two. Finally Torr glanced down at Ferra, her body now easing out of its violent breathing pattern but her eyes still not awakening. On the floor, a small rat snuck out of the armored coat, it scurried towards the door and climbed up to the large paneled window set into it, looking at something outside.

“Ferra is the more distrustful twin,” His eyes softened as he spoke, “A few weeks its been since she started waking up sick to her stomach, hungrier than usual, her moods seemed erratic. We thought she may have become cursed, or more so than we already are-” his voice grew stronger as he grew angrier throughout his sentences, “we planned to come and meet you here Siika, as you are one of a handful Ferra actually associates with, I’m not sure why. Anyways, we came across another witch, a hedge witch before we were to set out towards you. She was beginning to vomit before her first meal of the day, and this witch could not heal Ferra of her affliction because she had no affliction. She’s with child.” Torr glances down at Ferra’s belly, almost smiling, and quickly regained his focus, “We came and spoke with Bodric immediately after, Ferra explaining she could not be in the field any longer now that she needed to protect her small miracle. I had been goading her to leave the Vipers for awhile now, and I think this was the opportunity we could both agree to do so.”
p.
“I would trade all my fine threads, my fine gems, anything to hear you say anything but that,” Siika’s face softened and he breathed deeply when seeing Torr’s look of confusion, “You’ve confirmed my suspicions, and I hate being the bearer of bad news.” The rat had scurried back down and up to Siika, climbing his robes and seeming to nuzzle his nose into the sylph’s pale ear.
p.
“Torr, it took me a while to try and figure out the components, but she had to have imbibed a Night Tea mixed with Black Fester, and I’m sure some more nefarious poisons.” He stared at Torr’s blank face for a second before blowing a wispy white bang out of his face in frustration, “the Black Fester made it hard for me to just outright heal her. I’m having to go antidote to each toxin I can identify. But Night tea is used to end a pregnancy Torr. She’s going to survive but this child will not, I’m sorry.”
p.
Two things happened simultaneously, throwing the two men in two different directions. Siika twirled around, his robes flying in the wind gracefully as he saw the back door fly open and a tall slender pale white woman rush in. At the same time Torr turned back down to the table as Ferra, awakened with a scream.
p.
“My baby! Noooooooo!” Her voice had never had so much emotion in all of the twins shared life. It almost screeched with desperation, but there was a growl underneath similar to the anger Torr found in his own voice. She had sat up with arms outstretched, grabbing both Torr and Siika in each hand that sparked with a blue electrical force.
p.
“Iori’s tits what’s your fucking-” Siika drew back from the crazed woman. Torr let the lightning draw up his arm, worried tremendously from the look he had never seen in his sister’s eyes before. The volts of electricity passed through him, his concern overruling any pain.
p.
“Beautiful creature, sleep,” the blood hag had almost floated upto Ferra in the handful of voltage filled seconds that had just passed. A long, deep, almost-inky, plum colored nail gently touched Ferra’s forehead, the tip seeming so sharp it should’ve drew blood from her skin. Ferra, about to scream once again, shuddered and gently fell down, Torr laying her gently down onto the table again.
p.
He turned to the tall woman, he standing at almost 6 feet tall still looked up at the pale woman. Her face was beautiful and soft, resembling that of an elf except she had curved ears like a human. She lifted her dark cloak to let tresses of dark burgundy hair fall just past her smooth cheeks. Deep black pupils stared down at Torr, seeming to peer into his soul with a force he had seen from few people besides his sister. But was most interesting was the air of royalty that came from her demeanor and appearance. Deep plum lips drew into a smile, showing bright white shark-like razor teeth, every tooth pointed to tear into meat. Her eyelids were bare, but a small ruby seemed to be set into the set of her forehead. Around her neck a small, finger-sized vial hung around a simple string, a container that seemed to have once held blood, now only holding the splattering of red remnants around the glass bottle. She wore what looked like a simple black dress with long lilac sleeves, but synched in tight on her waist to give her a tight hourglass figure. The garment seemed simple until you looked closer and saw an intricate pattern of braiding and stitching from handfuls of lace in a pattern coming down the left side of the entire dress. Her lack of shoes gave hint to her wilder nature, a matching set of pointed almost claw like toenails the same color as those on her fingers.
p.
“Errm, hello,” he got lost in trance and shook his head quickly, “what did you do to my sister! I swear-” Siika placed a hand on Torr’s shoulder from behind him.

“I’ve only put her to sleep darling,” her voice sounded like a knife dipped in honey, sharp but sultry and sweet, “she was distraught and I could tell she does a lot more damage than she looks….she’s only taking a nap,” She sighed delightfully watching Torr’s eyes follow her body, and held out one of her hand with a small curtsy, “Vanessa, the pleasure is all mine. Siika told me quite a bit about you Drovar twins, or as Siika calls you, ‘The Twins with a Death Wish’” a chuckle was stifled in Siika from the background.
p.
“I can help Siika remedy the situation and hopefully get you two back on your feet and far away from whomever did such a-” she smiled as her voice feigned concern and sounded more like curiosity to Torr, “an act of premeditated evil.”
p.
“Why?! What makes me trust you hag?” Torr was back on his defensive, seeing his twin helpless on the table.
p.
“Now now now,” her voice cooed and effortlessly gave a silky reassurance to the air, “this is why you can trust me, and why your twin has my aid.”
p.
She turned her head to the right and pulled the hair on her left away from her neck, showing a sizeable tattoo. A black pentagram, dark and ominous, was almost complete, two of the points left intentionally undone and open.
p.
It took up much of the side of her neck behind her left ear, yet was still small enough to hide behind her short hair.

“I have no idea why Ferra keeps things from you,” Siika pulled down the front of his robe, exposing the same tattoo (though smaller, more sleek somehow in nature), “this, Torr, is the seal of the Unbound. Witches and hags, some shamans even, we are gifted with magic darker sometimes in nature, and misunderstood by much of the magic community. A few of us got smart and created a makeshift bond a long time ago, a bond paradoxically called Unbound. We are not friends, we are barely allies, but if one of the Unbound is in trouble, the other Unbound fall in to aid. It’s an understanding that brings a small line of trust and loyalty amongst some of the shadiest magic weavers who understand the need for extra hands in a ritual sacrifice,” he giggled slightly, “I mean that was a joke but you get the gest. It’s a hard process to retrieve this seal, but once you have it it opens you up to some benefits.”
p.
Siika smirked as he pulled his robe back up, winking a little at Torr’s eyes on his chest.
“I don’t understand,” Torr spoke as Vanessa pulled her hair back to cover her mark, “Ferra and I are inseparable, I would’ve known if she went through a ‘process’ to get this mark.”
p. “I would watch her closer Torr,” Vanessa spoke with a seriousness, “your sister seems to have the potential to do a lot more than I think you both think she’s capable of.” She pulled the strap to Ferra’s corset off her right shoulder, showing the same Unbound tattoo on Ferra. Her words hung in the air for a moment as all three looked at Ferra’s sleeping body, her hand giving off a small spark ever so often.
p.
“I know you don’t know me,” she continued, “and our slight allegiance may seem unworthy of your trust, but honestly we are the best chance you have at getting away from something obviously out to get you two. Ferra has been hit, and it’s only a matter of time before the right kind of death comes to chase you Torr.”
p.
“I, errm,” Torr thought for a second, “like I said before, Ferra is the more distrustful twin. Do you work with your silly magic, I will keep watch and I dare death himself to try and come between the Drovar twins!” His last shouting words met silence as Siika rolled his eyes at his speech, and Vanessa was already attending to his sleeping sister.
p.
“Go on then silly warrior,” the sarcasm spilled out from Siika, “stay close in case your sister tries electrocuting anyone again! If I find one scorch mark on these robes….”he trailed off as Torr walked out the back door and stared out at the night sky. The streets were paved and close but had enough wilderness surrounding them to make Torr feel safe, the starry sky seemed devoid of other living beings. Or maybe his thoughts kept him too preoccupied to really notice anyone else. He wasn’t gonna be an uncle after all. Bodric, a man who took them in and practically raised them, was really trying to kill them. Ferra had been so careful and yet had still gotten poisoned. He had never seen her feel so much hatred and sorrow and pain before. A great anger erupted inside of him, energy flowing through his veins as the indignation rose in him. He roared at the night sky, uncaring of who might hear him. Unafraid, and unobservant to someone in a tree nearby watching him.

The adventure log is where you list the sessions and adventures your party has been on, but for now, we suggest doing a very light “story so far” post. Just give a brief overview of what the party has done up to this point. After each future session, create a new post detailing that night’s adventures.

One final tip: Don’t stress about making your Obsidian Portal campaign look perfect. Instead, just make it work for you and your group. If everyone is having fun, then you’re using Obsidian Portal exactly as it was designed, even if your adventure log isn’t always up to date or your characters don’t all have portrait pictures.